Nick Saban has hoisted the crystal football emblematic of the national championship in three of the last four seasons at Alabama. / John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports

by David Jones, USA TODAY Sports

by David Jones, USA TODAY Sports

Florida football coach Will Muschamp doesn't even try to pretend that he hasn't patterned his football philosophy around much of what he learned from Alabama's Nick Saban while an assistant in both the college and NFL levels.

And why not? Alabama has won national titles by focusing a lot on being physical, pounding the ball down other teams' throats when possible. Muschamp tried that his first season in 2011, and finished 7-6. Last year, with Tim Davis arriving as the offensive line coach, he made a second attempt. This time, the Gators went 11-2.

So Davis made an appearance Tuesday at a Space Coast Gator Club gathering in Melbourne, Fla., and he made another vow.

To keep on pounding.

"Will's got a plan,'' promised Davis, also a former Saban assistant. "Will coached under the devil himself for seven years. I only did three.''

And Saban, referred to as "Nicky Satan'' by Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin, among others, loves to pound the rock. Davis reflected that same warm, fuzzy feeling when speaking to the local group.

"Why go by plane,'' said Davis to the gathering, "when you can go by train.''

Davis' story is as interesting as the potential season ahead brings, with players reporting for the start of preseason practice Aug. 1. He's been around, to put it bluntly.

He played college ball at Utah, in the CFL at Hamilton and in the USFL with the Los Angeles Express (the year before Steve Young came aboard).

His coaching career took him to Wisconsin, Arizona, Southern California, the Miami Dolphins, Alabama, Minnesota, Utah and now Florida.

There was even a stop at Walla Walla, Wash., in there.

Seriously.

Florida, of course, isn't Walla Walla. But the game is the same. You win up front, you probably win the game. It's an attitude that has a lot of trophies sitting in Alabama right now and a lot of Crimson Tide linemen preparing for NFL camps. Pound the ball. Open the holes. Dominate up front.

Davis puts the pressure on himself, on his front. If he wins his personal battle, it could be a huge season at Florida. And he knows it. But then, Davis explained, he knows a little bit about personal pressure.

Handed a microphone to talk to the crowd but having trouble getting it to work - and not necessary as loudly as he talked - he handed it back and said, "See. I don't need this. We grew up Irish Catholic. You should see my family. Seven kids around the table, there I sat. There were seven kids, two parents and a dog. There were nine pork chops. I got some of the pork chop.''

Davis predicted that Florida will eat well in the future - and win a national championship with Muschamp as the head coach.

"He's like the other guy,'' said Davis, again making comparisons to Saban. "But he's got a personality.''